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Force migrants to go bush, says ALP

Almost half of all migrants to Australia may be forced to live in rural or regional centres to obtain permanent residency, under a proposal unveiled by Opposition Leader Simon Crean.

Mr Crean used the NSW ALP conference to release a discussion paper exploring ways to ease population pressure on the nation’s cities without curtailing overall migrant intake.

The move was widely seen as an appeal to western Sydney voters who bear the brunt of immigration and whose seats Mr Crean must win if he is to wrest power from Prime Minister John Howard.

One recommendation is that at least 45 per cent of migrants be located in the regions.

This could be achieved by a points system weighted in favour of prospective migrants who agree to live in areas with a population less than 350,000 or by giving such immigrants a discount entry fee.

But once the immigrant agreed to live in a certain area, he or she may be compelled to stay there for a period or lose their residency rights, raising concerns about creating two classes of residents in Australia.

While not committing to any specific plans, Mr Crean said that if someone came to Australia on an undertaking they would be expected to adhere to it.

«I’m just saying if people make commitments they should honour them,» he said.

Mr Crean denied that such a move would create two classes of immigrants, saying it was not dissimilar to current favouritism to skilled migrants or the family reunion scheme.

«The notion that what you do is to provide incentive or to weight the condition is not new.»

Mr Crean stressed that the discussion paper, commissioned by Labor and compiled by the Chifley Research Centre, only canvassed possible action and the official Labor policy would be released «at the appropriate time».

But he said he was committed to the principle of diffusing migration into rural and regional Australia.

«We genuinely believe that the pressure on large cities like Sydney does have to be eased as part of our population policy,» he told reporters at the NSW ALP conference.

«We’re committed to the regional approach. We see that is the most effective way of balancing the pressures on the major capital cities and still having a viable, working encouraging population policy.»

As well as wooing western Sydney, the proposal also puts the opposition leader in broad alignment with Premier Bob Carr, although Mr Carr has called for a reduction in overall immigration levels, which Mr Crean does not support.

©AAP 2003